As I mentioned in Part 1 of this article, the two main reasons for George W. Bush going into Iraq were Revenge and Riches. But now I want to look at some of the other reasons for the disastrous decision which continues to haunt us all these years later.
Dominate, Subjugate the World
Yes, I truly do believe that Bush and his neoconservative lackeys were operating under the impression that the United States should and could dominate the world with military might. Iraq was the test case. Afghanistan was an easy military victory because it had so little in the way of infrastructure or a will to fight. Instead, the top Al Qaeda leaders decided to flee the country and live to fight another day.
Iraq was the test case for Bush and the necons. When Saddam’s troops offered little in the way of resistance, we now know that military planners were asked to design similar operations for Syria, Iran, and North Korea.
The failure to win the peace in Iraq, along with the likelihood that Syria, Iran, and North Korea already possessed some form of weapons of mass destruction is what kept the Administration from going into these other countries it had identified as part of the “Axis of Evil.” But despite the fact that Bush and his cronies did not begin military action in these other nations, the fact remains that they intended to, and this intent is what damns them.
Money, Money, Money…And The Will To Power
As with nearly everything the United States does internationally, the real motive from the beginning was money. Money from Iraqi oil, money from reconstruction projects, money for infrastructure improvements in Iraq. The Iraqi people went from subjugation by Saddam to subjugation by the U.S. Government. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.
And alongside the lure of lucre, we also have the desire to impose American will around the world when it suits the whims of the kleptocrats who truly control our so-called “elected representatives.” This same will to power has not changed since the founding of our nation. We stole the country from the Native Americans, went to war to steal other parts from Mexico and Spain, and bought portions we could not hope to acquire through other means.
So when our children come to us and want to know why we allowed thousands of Americans to be sacrificed on the altar of greed and power, what will we tell them?
We will tell them the very thing we have been denied all these years: The Truth. Painful as it may be, they deserve to hear the truth at least once in their lives.